I was thinking about something earlier (doesn't happen often I know). Let's say the god of the bible is the correct one and he exists, for arguments sake.
Let's say I'm a guy born on an island, far beyond current civilisation. There's no bible, no religion, just the island, a small community and people basically living as they did tens of thousands of years ago.
I'm an isolated islander.
How then, will I find out about god. More to the point, how will I find out about the christian, biblical god. And what happens if I don't.
Let's say that I don't.
Seems to me there's only three things which can happen upon death (ofcourse if there are other things I'm missing then you can respond with them).
1. God sends you to hell for not making the effort/not succeeding to try and 'find him'.
2. God lets you into heaven because he senses that you are a good guy/lets you off for not knowing.
3. God notifies you when you reach the pearly gates that there is in fact, a god, and asks you to submit/worship/believe in him or whatever.
In scenario 1, god is an asshole. He's the one who has put you on an isolated island(creator of the universe and all that), and he then punishes you for not finding out what you never knew you had to find out.
In scenario 2, god shows his rules don't mean shit. And he also shows he's favoured you by letting you live in a place where you don't even have to live by his rules/know about him to get into heaven. So again, he's an asshole. He makes the vast majority of the population worship him, and follow his rules, but you, seen as you're a special case? He lets you off. But it was him who made you a special case. So he's showing favouritism. Asshole right?
In scenario 3, he makes a mockery of the whole free will concept. If he's going to reveal himself to you (the fact that you even reach the pearly gates should be an indicator), then he's completely disregarding the whole point of having to believe in god in order to be a christian, and get into heaven. Yet again, he's an asshole.
So, with all that said, how can one seriously rationalise the actions for this supreme asshole. More to the point, why would you believe (want to believe) in this asshole considering these scenarios? What is the thinking behind what will become of such a person, from a christian perspective (or any theistic perspective for that matter). Or am I even missing something else? Is there another scenario, another way which god resolves the issue of the isolated islander. And if there is, is it at all supported by the bible itself. Because if it isn't, then how do you know about it.
I don't often do religious topics for my posts, but this is one of those things which for me, shows how infeasible the concept of an all knowing, all loving, all seeing and all powerful deity is.
So... thoughts?
Let's say I'm a guy born on an island, far beyond current civilisation. There's no bible, no religion, just the island, a small community and people basically living as they did tens of thousands of years ago.
I'm an isolated islander.
How then, will I find out about god. More to the point, how will I find out about the christian, biblical god. And what happens if I don't.
Let's say that I don't.
Seems to me there's only three things which can happen upon death (ofcourse if there are other things I'm missing then you can respond with them).
1. God sends you to hell for not making the effort/not succeeding to try and 'find him'.
2. God lets you into heaven because he senses that you are a good guy/lets you off for not knowing.
3. God notifies you when you reach the pearly gates that there is in fact, a god, and asks you to submit/worship/believe in him or whatever.
In scenario 1, god is an asshole. He's the one who has put you on an isolated island(creator of the universe and all that), and he then punishes you for not finding out what you never knew you had to find out.
In scenario 2, god shows his rules don't mean shit. And he also shows he's favoured you by letting you live in a place where you don't even have to live by his rules/know about him to get into heaven. So again, he's an asshole. He makes the vast majority of the population worship him, and follow his rules, but you, seen as you're a special case? He lets you off. But it was him who made you a special case. So he's showing favouritism. Asshole right?
In scenario 3, he makes a mockery of the whole free will concept. If he's going to reveal himself to you (the fact that you even reach the pearly gates should be an indicator), then he's completely disregarding the whole point of having to believe in god in order to be a christian, and get into heaven. Yet again, he's an asshole.
So, with all that said, how can one seriously rationalise the actions for this supreme asshole. More to the point, why would you believe (want to believe) in this asshole considering these scenarios? What is the thinking behind what will become of such a person, from a christian perspective (or any theistic perspective for that matter). Or am I even missing something else? Is there another scenario, another way which god resolves the issue of the isolated islander. And if there is, is it at all supported by the bible itself. Because if it isn't, then how do you know about it.
I don't often do religious topics for my posts, but this is one of those things which for me, shows how infeasible the concept of an all knowing, all loving, all seeing and all powerful deity is.
So... thoughts?
